Just for fun!
Ok, my family may be a little strange, I realize this. Here are a few pix of what Ophelia and Lavinia do for fun. Of course, this isn't all they do to fill up their days, there are many, many more activities they enjoy but here are a few I had to share. Knitting and playing in leaves. Wow, I feel like we're on our way to becoming Little House on the Prairie!
How do they do it?
I'm no super hero, this much has been established. There are occasions, however, that do require super-hero strength, determination, and focus in my life and I know I'm not alone in this. A few such experiences have happened recently that have caused me to be in awe of those that have gone before me as stable working people contributing to the betterment of our society, loving parents, students, teachers, etc. The student keeping up with their social life and their studies, the parents functioning on less than the minimum sleep recommendation, the father that makes healthy meals for the family, the mother that helps research a science project, the pay checks that come home and pay the bills and all the wonderful memories of special times together. How in the world did/do they do it and keep up with it all? Really, they must be super heros.
We are still a one car family which has it's pluses and minuses. One plus/minus is that with the girls going in different directions for school 5 mornings a week one parents has to ride bikes with Lavinia each school day. This has become am exhilarating treat for me, specially on beautiful days. Since I do most of my work from home Monday-Wednesday, the pleasure is often mine to make the 3 mile round trip in the morning and afternoon. Last week I had the added, we'll call it "pleasure" as well, to have Helena riding along side of me to pick up Lavinia one day. Our trip was riddled with problems. When we were a little over half way there and already late (I'm usually early when I ride) I finally put Helena on my bike and her bike on my handlebars. With Helena holding on to my waist for dear life I peddled none stop the rest of the way there unable to sit on my bike seat due to the three year old precariously perched there. Pick-up was still going on when we got to the school (so we weren't officially late) and the teachers and parents that watched us roll in clapped for us when we landed safely. My hands were pinched in the bike spokes, my jeans black from the tire marks and my legs shaking from the effort. I was exhausted and couldn't wait to sit down. Still, after parking our bikes we pressed on and met Lavinia at the school's bike rack.
In 5 minutes we were back on the road, helmets in place and Helena once again on her own bike for what I thought would be a leisurely little ride home. Most of my work for the day was finished and with the exception of a few e-mails and figuring out dinner I actually didn't have much to do so we could enjoy the ride. And we did, for about a block. At this point Helena's training wheel decided it wasn't tight enough and slipped on every bump, crack or wobble and the bike, with Helena on board and peddling with all her might, would fall over. We would stop (Lavinia would grumble, me too but not out loud), pick up the bike, brush Helena off, kiss any new owies, kick the training wheel back in place, try to secure the wheel, get Helena back on and start going again. After 6 blocks and more than a dozen spills a wailing Helena announced: "I all done ride bike!" I couldn't blame her, after all, I wouldn't like that very much either. However, my legs hurt so much already from trying to get to the school on time that I couldn't imagine going over a mile the same way. Our solution had Helena and I riding side by side while I rode with one hand on my handlebars and one on Helena's to stable, balance and steer. Right. I was trying to balance and steer not only myself but a three year old on an unstable bike 16 inches below me. Go ahead and laugh uproariously now, you can already see what's coming.
Other than my shoulder and back getting tight and then eventually feeling like it was on fire, we actually did fairly well. Unlike you may suspect we didn't run into each other, she didn't pull me off balance into a collision or really any other disaster. Almost. When we were almost home Helena decided to try again on her own. I let go of the handlebars for her and within seconds not only had her training wheel slipped again but she steered right into my front wheel. Sitting on the street laughing with Lavinia racing back to us (we ate her dust most of the way home) to see if we were ok, Helena looked at me and asked: "You ok mommy?" She kissed my owie, helped me pick up both of our bikes, kicked the training wheel in place, and said "Let's go mommy, we can do it."
The rest of our ride was uneventful, I still held onto her bike while we rode and we giggled from time to time when our eyes met which wasn't often since I was focused on the street and two bikes plus Lavinia in front of us. I wondered how many more times I could do these kind of things and still wind up laughing on my butt in the street and then realized that it didn't really matter, what mattered was right now. Helping my little girl balance was the job I had to do today.
How did/do those people do it? One day, one task, one purpose at a time.
Ophelia's Fairy Buggy Birthday
"Buzz our way for an arty party day!"
Ophelia turned 8 yesterday, hard to believe, but it's true. She's becoming such a beautiful girl, loosing that little girl and baby cuteness (ok, that may be long gone but I'm just now accepting it) and definitely becoming a big girl. We celebrated her birthday on Saturday in a fairy garden with fairy friends (regular friends that dressed up), bugs, art (we painted pottery bugs and created an original work of art for Ophelia's room on a canvas together!), dirt cake, games, and presents. The gifts she received reflected how much she's growing up as well: a microscope, bead organizer, science project books, insect books, magnifying glass, doll making kit, real art supplies (not crayola), gift certificates (to an art store- I'm trying not to be jealous!) etc. Jeremy and I gave her two preserved, mounted and framed butterflies to begin her entomology collection that she has been wanting to start (Ophelia has loves art and bugs!) along with a detailed book about butterflies with stunning close-up photographs, and of course, the party. Our guests left with bugs, butterfly nets, fairy wings and crowns, fairy snacks (AKA trail mix), colorful clay, and their beautiful bugs. It was a beautiful party that simply felt magical, surprisingly calm and rather quiet- fitting for our artistic, dreamy introverted child. It was a lovely day. Our camera is starting to die on us so we didn't get many pictures, hope you enjoy what we did get!
Never, Never Land
(Here are the pictures, sorry it too so long!)
I must confess that Halloween is in fact one of my favorite holidays. Yes, I realize this is controversial and as a Christian I should in fact be handing out tracts to save these poor desperate people that celebrate Halloween but I don't do that, I join them with gusto (ha, but on Halloween we did get some of those Chick tracts that try to scare you in to heaven- brought back memories). No need to fill me in on the evils surrounding Halloween's history I am well aware of the pagan background of not only Halloween but Christmas and Easter too. Nope, I'm not celebrating Satan on Halloween, I'm laughing at him. There is no way that I'm going to give him even just one day out of my calendar year to claim as his own. For our family Halloween is the time to celebrate make believe, laugh at the silliness of "spokes," visit with our neighbors, learn about a time in history (usually from what our costumes are from), be creative, stick our tongue out at Satan, rejoice in the imaginations God gave us, and eat candy.
This year we didn't get to make cookies or even finish carving our pumpkins but we still had a blast. Our new neighborhood has three times as many kids and it was as if the neighborhood just emptied out onto the streets in colorful costumes and friendly greetings. The house across the street from us was all done up with a "haunted porch" that made little kids scream once in a while followed by peals of laughter and most of the houses had their porch lights on. The girls would walk up to a house, count to three and yell "trick or treat!" in unison followed by sweet "Happy Halloween" and "Thank you" as they eyed their candy loot.
The girls choose Peter Pan for their costume theme this year. Ophelia was Peter (and a darn good one), Lavinia was Captain Hook (is anyone surprised at this?), and Helena was Tinkerbell (after her costume was on I really thought she looked like a real fairy). Jeremy and I usually dress up too but this year we just didn't have the chance to get out costumes together so we went as modern day Mr. and Mrs. Darling, AKA Mommy and Daddy. Ophelia enjoyed being Peter Pan and didn't seem bothered at all to play a boy this time. I couldn't believe how tall and grown up she looked in her brown tights and green pan shirt with a sword at her side. Lavinia played a great Captain Hook in a borrowed jacket and hat. We had figured out her costume weeks ago but then misplaced those important pieces in our move so I called a friend whose son was Captain Hook last year and Lavinia loved the velvet coat and the large plum in the hat. Her hook, treasure chest, sword and handle bar mustache made for a complete Hook look. Helena charmed everyone in her Tinkerbell costume and sweet lisping "twick o' tweet!" in a dress I got at the thrift store and cut up before spraying with "fairy dust" and adding a pair of wings with Velcro. She left a trail of fairy dust where ever she went (Daddy was covered in it from carrying her by the end) and had to bring along her baby (also in a Tinkerbell costume I made from the scraps of Helena's dress) to show everyone she met. As usual we had a great time putting our costumes together and getting ready for the exciting night.
Saturday night we close out our Halloween celebrations by joining another, rather new tradition: the Sugar Sprite. Several families in our new school shared what they do to deal with the hordes of candy their children bring home from trick or treating. The children get to pick several pieces of candy (so do Mommy and Daddy), candy is selected for someone special (a teacher, friend, etc.), and then the candy is gathered and set out under a tree or on the front porch for a little fairy that lives on sweets (because she's not human so it doesn't hurt her like it would us) and her name is Sugar Sprite. The Sugar Sprite, much like the Tooth Fairy, leaves a thank you gift in exchange for the children either a small amount of money or small toy. We look forward to seeing what the Sugar Sprite leaves at our house.
Hope your Halloween was tons of fun too. Don't forget that November 1st is All Saints day, a day to remember the loved ones you have lost and thank God for them.
Welcome to the fairy garden- Ophelia, the Birthday Girl!
Ophelia the fairy, paints a dragonfly
Bug and fairy snacks
Party decorations- rather buggy
The fairy paints a butterfly
Game time
Pin the bug on the flower, yay Helena!
Look, a pretty pot of flowers... or is it cake?
The cake without the decorations, mmmmmm...
Daddy Eats Dirt (Cake)
Opening presents
